Valve lifter



S. J. DENTON June 18, 1929.

VALVE LIFTER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 4, 1928 .s lll Y Ju`n`e 18, 1929. s,BENTON 1,718,120

VALVE LIFTER Filed June 4, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 18, 1929.

uNrrED STATES SHERMAN J. DENTON, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO.

VALVE LIFTER.

Application filed .Tune 4, 1928;

This invention relates to valve-lifters of the type used on engines ofmotor vehicles to remove the valves thereof for renewal, adjustment orrepair, by releasing them from the pressure of their springs.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tool of the above statedcharacter which in the operative movement of a pair of hand leverscompresses the .spring by pressure exerted upon an end` thereof throughthe separation of cooperative jaws with which the levers are associated.Another object of the invention resides in providing a novel andpractical means lfor the operative connection of the levers of the toolwith one another and with shank-members upon which the jaws proper aredetachably mounted. A further object resides in the provision of a novelmeans for locking the jaws in place on their shanks without the use ofbolts or screws, and independent of other parts of the tool, and stillanother object' is found in the provision of novel and eiiicient meansfor locking the levers together whereby to secure the jaws ,in theirseparated positions. l

rlhe above and other objects mostly relating to details ofconstructionand the arrangement of the parts of which the tool iscomposed, will be fully brought out in the course of the followingdescription with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings in the several `views of which like parts are similarlydesignated,

Figure l represents a sectional elevation of the tool; Y

Figure 2, a fragmentary elevation similar to Figure l, showing thejaw-members of the tool in the position in which they are closedtogether prior to their operative movement,

Figure 3, a partially sectional. top-view of one of the shank-membersand the therewith rection of either of the arrows A in vFigure l Figure4,' a section taken on the line l-4, Figure l;

Figure 5, a transverse line 5-5, Figure l;

Figure 6, a section on the line 6 6, Figure l;

Figure 7, a perspective view of one of the jaw-members of the tool, and

Figure 8, an elevation of the tool in its operative condition withrelation vto the section along the Serial N'o. 282,804.

hereinafter be more fully-explained, are pvotally connected withcrossed-.lever members 8 and 9 as at 7. The levers are pivoted togetherat 10 and one of the levers is composed of two members 8'a and 8cpivoted together at a point coincident with the pivot point 7 of therespective jaw-member. The long arms of the lever which constitute theoperating handles of the tool are further connected by alink l2pivotedat both ends, that provides a fulcrum for thelong-member 8 of thejointed lever 8, additional to and cooperative with the fulcrum l0 ofitsshorter member 8c with the other lever 9.

Pivoted links 13 connect the eXtreme ends of the short arms of thelevers with the shank members, and -cooperate with the pivots-7 at theends of the shanks to support the Shanks and maintain them insubstantially parallel relation to each other. n

The links move in longitudinal slots 14 of the shanks which, as well asthe levers, are preferably made of channel-section. s In theconstruction shown in the drawings, the links are pivoted at their outerends to lugs on strips l5 which are riveted to the shank-members atopposite sidesY of their slots. This, however, is a merc feature ofconvenience in manufacture and the links may be otherwise pivoted on theshanks if so' desired.

The jaw-members 6 of the tool hereinbefore referred to, consist, as bestshown in Figure 7, of a flanged blade of channel section, arovided inits outer-1 portion with a slot (ia to admitthe tappet and valve stem ofthe engine in the operation of the tool and having at its opposite end,a recess 6c.

,The recessed end of the blade at which it is attached to the respectiveshank, has slideways formed by iianges 6d extending inwardly from thesides thereof and the flanges are provided `withnotches 6h in alinementwith similar notches Gf formed in opposite edges of the recess 6. Thepairs of alined notches are the means by which the jaws are attached totheir shanks as will now be described.l

The outer or free ends of the Shanks are ilanged to provide reenforcingribs slidingly itted within the slideways of the aws. In.-

termediate of these ribs is a locking member cooperating with thenotches at either side of the jaw to secure the latter in place. Thelocking member comprises a dog 1G pivoted at 17 by means of a short lug1Ga movably fitted in a. notch at the end of the shankmember. The doghas a fiat body portion normally lying upon the inside of the shank andit is held in its normal position by a coiled spring 18 on a headed stud19 extending through an opening in the said body portion of the dog andriveted in an aperture of the shank.

The dog has two detents 16c at right angles to its body portion, thatproject through slots in the shank for their engagement in the notchesof the portion of the jaw' lying against the outer surface of the shank,and the dog has intermediate of its detente a lip 16d projectingoutwardly through the beforementioned slot 14 of the shank to providemeans for disengaging the detents from the jaw by finger-pressure.

It will be seen that by these means the jaws are readily locked in placeon their respective shanks by merely sliding them onto the outer endsthereof, that they may be unlocked and removed by pressure upon the lipsof the dogs; that owing to the provision of two pairs of notches atopposite sides of the jaws, the latter may be reversed if so desired,and that jaws of different sizes and proportions may interchangeably beapplied to the tool, for the compression of springs on valves of varyingforms and proportions. f

The element by which the levers are locked together in order to hold thejaws apart at any distance to which they were moved by pressure upon thelong arms of the levers, comprises two bell-crank shaped locking members20 lying side by side and fulcrumed to move about a common axispreferably provided by the same pin 21 that constitutes the pivotalconnection between the link 12 and the jointed lever o. The bell crankshaving ratchet teeth QOfL cooperating with a transverse pin 22 in thechannel of the lever 9 and their teeth are staggered with relation toeach other so that the levers may be locked together at distances apartdetermined by the engagement of the ratchet teeth with the pin atfractions of their interdental spaces.

Coiled springs 23 fastened at the ends of the short arms of thebell-cranks 2O extend longitudinally within the channel of the member 8aof the jointed lever` 8 and are connected at their opposite ends to lugs211 on themember to yieldingly maintain the toothed arms of the bellcranks in engagement with the pin 22.

Triggers 25 pivoted on the lever member 9 at 26, have finger-humps 25aprojecting through slots of the member, with the object of moving theminto engagement with the respective ratchet-bars 20 for the purpose ofdisengaging the toothed arms thereof from the locking-pin when it isdesired to move the leversl of the tool apart after the operation ofcompressing the valve-spring is completed.

The locking bars 2O are guided in a yoke 27 fastened in the channel ofthe lever-mem.- ber 9. The yoke reenforces the portion of the member atwhich the locking pin 22 and the pivot pin 26 of the releasing triggerare fastened thereto7 and it furthermore functions as a stop to limitthe movement of the levers to a determinate distance apart when thelevers are pressed together in the operation of the tool.

rihe long arms of the levers 8 and 9 are thus prevented from engagingone another and all danger of injury. to the hand of the operator bycatching the flesh between the levers, is avoided.

Having` thus described the mechanical construction of the tool, itsoperation and advantages will be apparent. The jaws applied at the endsof the jaw-members are automatically locked in place, by thespringpressed dogs independent of any other part of the tool, and theyare readily unlocked for removal, by disengaging the dogs from theirnotches by finger' pressure upon the projecting lips of the same.

The tool is applied to the spring 28 of the valve-mounting illustratedin Figure 8, by inserting the points of their jaws conjointly in thespace between an end of the spring and a relatively fixed part as forexample the end of the tappet 29.

The levers 8 and 9 of the tool are now pressed together with the resultthat the jaws 6 are separatedand the spring is compressed against theshoulder provided by a part 30 of the element of the engine on which thevalve is mounted.

The locking element of the tool secures the jaws at distances apartdetermined by the distances between the teeth of the two locking membersand after the valve-spring has been compressed, the cross pin 31 on thevalve stem 32 upon which it normally bears through the intermediary of awasher 33,

ments of its parts, reside in theseparative movement of the jaws whenthe lever-members of the tool are pressed together, the substantiallyconstant parallel position of the jaws during their operative movement,and the increasing leverage exerted upon the tools by the jointedconstruction ot onevof the lever-members and the two'fulcra provided forthe conjointy movement of its 1 prising crossed leversV having VshortarmsV and long arms at opposite sides ot the fnlcrum, one of the leversbeing jointed, jawcarrying members pivoted on the long arms of thelevers, the pivot ot one ot' the members being coincident with the jointot the jointed lever, pivoted links connect-ing the jaw-carrying memberswith the short arms of the levers, and a pivoted link between the longarms of the levers.

3. A tool of the character'described comprising two levers one of whichis composed of two jointed members of dissimilar lengths, the' shortmember of the jointed lever and the other lever being ulcrumed incrossed relation to each other, a pivoted link between the long memberof the jointed lever and the other lever, j aw-carrying members pivotedon the levers, and pivoted links between the short member of the jointedlever and the corresponding arm of the other lever.

fi. A tool of the character described comprising two levers one of whichis composed of two jointed members of dissimilar lengths, the shortmember et' the jointed lever and the other lever being tulcrumed incrossed relation to each other, a pivoted link between. the long memberof the jointed lever and the other lever, aw-carrying members pivoted onthe levers, the pivot of one of the jaw-carrying members beingcoincident with the joint of the jointed lever, and pivoted linksbetween the short member of `the jointed lever and the corresponding armof the other lever.

5. In a tool of the character described, crossed levers having long armsand short arms at opposite sides ot their fnlcrum, aws connected withthe short arms ot the levers, and a locking element comprising a toothedbar pivoted on the long arm of One of the levers and extending away fromthe fulcrum, entirely within the space between the long arms of thelevers, and a pin on the other lever engaged by the bar.

6. In a tool of the character described, crossed levers having` longarms and short arms at opposite sides of their fulcr'um, jaws connectedwith the short arms ofthe levers, and a locking element comprising atoothed bar pivoted on the long arm of one ot the levers and extendingaway from the fnlcrum, entirely within the space between the long armsof the levers, a pin on the other lever engaged by the bar, and aspringto yieldingly maintain said engagement.

7. In a tool or" the character described, crossed levers having longarms and short arms at opposite sides of their ulcrum, jaws connectedwith the short arms ot the levers, and a locking element comprising atoothed bar pivoted on the long arm ot one of the levers and extendingentirely within the space between the long arms ot the levers, a pin onthe other lever engaged by the bar, and a spring to yieldingly maintainsaid engagement.

8. In a tool of the character described, rossed levers having long armsand short arms at opposite sides ot their; tulcrum, jaws co-nnected withthe short arms of the levers, and a locking element comprising abell-crank pivoted on the long arm of one of the. levers and having atoothed arm extending in the lspace between the long arms vof the jlevers, a spring extending lengthwise with relation to the `longarm ofone of the levers in connection with v.the short arm of the bell crank,and a pin on the other lever, engaged by the toothed arm of the bellcrank.

9. A tool of the character described comprising crossed levers havingshort arms and long arms at opposite sides oi their ulcrum, one of thelevers being joint-ed, jaw-carrying members pivoted on the long arms ofthe levers, pivoted links connecting the jaw-carrying members with theshort arms of the levers, a pivoted link between the long arms of thelevers, a toothed locking-bar pivoted on the long arm of the jointedlever at a point coincident with the joint thereof, and a pin on theothcrlevcr engaged by the locking bar.

l0. A tool of the character described comprising crossed levers, and alocking element comprising two ratchet bars independently movable abouta common pivot on one of the levers, their teeth being staggered withrelation to each other, and a pin on the other lever engaged by theratchet bars.

11. A tool of the character described comprising crossed levers havingshort arms and long arms at opposite sides of their fulcrum, and alocking element comprising a toothed bar pivoted on one ot the leversand extendllO ing entirely within the space between the long arms of thelevers; a pin on the other lever engaged by the bar, said other leverhaving a slot, and a trigger on the last mentioned lever, extendingthrough said slot and adapted to disengage the bar from t-he pm. v

12. A tool of the character described comprising crossed levers havingshort arms and long arms at opposite sides oi' their fulcrum, and alocking element comprising a toothed bar pivoted on one of the leversand extending entirely within the space between the long arms of thelevers, a pin on the other lever engaged' by the bar, and a pivotedtrigger on the last mentioned lever, adapted to disengage the bar Jfromthe pin.

13. A tool of the character described comprising crossed levers havino'short arms and long arms at opposite sides of their fulcrum, a lockingbar pivoted on one of the levers and extending away from the fulcrumwithing the space between the long arms of the levers, and a pin on theother lever, engaged by the locking-bar, the bar having ratchet teeththe shoulders of which face away from its pivot to engage the pin.

14. In a tool of the character described, a shank-member, a jawmemberhaving notched slide ways to admit an end of the shank; member, and aspring-urged dog on the shank-member adapted to automatically engage inthe notches of the aw-member at a determinate point of a sliding motionoi one detents to automatically engage in the notches of the jaw-memberat a determinate point in a sliding motion of one member relative to theother.

1G. In a tool of the character described, a shank-member havingapertures, a pivoted spring-pressed dog having ratchet teeth projectingthrough said apertures, and a jawmember having slide-ways' to admit anend of the shank-member, and having notches at edges of the slide-waysto admit the teeth of the dog.

17. In a tool ot the character described, a shank-member havingapertures, a pivoted spring-pressed. dog having ratchet teeth projectingthrough apertures of the shank* member and a lip projecting throughanother aperture o't' the same, and a jaw-inember having slide-ways toadmit an end of the shank-member, and having notches Vat edges of theslide-ways to admit the teeth of the dog.

18. In a tool of the character described. a

shank-member, a jaw-member having slide- SHERMAN J. DEN'ION.

